Males of any age may be affected by irritations and/or infections in or around the crotch, wherein these irritations may appear as itching, burning sensations and/or pain in the groin area, (uro)genital area, thigh skin folds, anus (perianal area) and/or between the buttocks (intergluteal area). Affected areas may appear on the thigh and/or scrotum side as red, tanned, or brown areas, with flaking, rippling, peeling, or cracking skin, wherein the condition may result in a general discomfort or pain. Moreover, dermal body fluid discharges may appear in the crotch region due to infections.
The crotch region may often be exposed to a warm, damp environment from tight, sweaty clothing such as underwear and/or jock straps. This may contribute to the cultivation of fungus, which may cause crotch itches. To prevent the occurrence of crotch irritations and/or infections, it has been suggested to keep the crotch region clean and dry by e.g. drying off thoroughly after bathing, putting on dry clothing immediately after swimming or perspiring, not sharing clothing or towels with others, showering immediately after athletic activities, wearing loose cotton underwear, avoiding tight-fitting clothing and/or using antifungal, antibacterial powders and/or ointments in the crotch region.
However, the above-mentioned actions to prevent e.g. crotch itch and/or discomforts in the crotch region may be tedious and inconvenient. Therefore, there is a wish to more conveniently inhibit the occurrence of crotch itches, irritations and/or infections.
In patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,234, there is provided a soft goods appliance for eliminating crotch itch. The appliance comprises en elastic waistband from which a center strap extends downward from the rear and towards the front. The front distal end of the center strap forms a concave pouch, intervening between the scrotum and penis, wherein vertically oriented side straps on the front of the appliance secure the pouch to the waistband.
Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 6,680,421 shows a protective inguinal perineal element for male and female patients, wherein the element is to be worn by the patient under a piece of underwear. The element comprises an absorbent cushion, and the element is arranged to absorb liquids from transpiration, exudation, and secretions present in the inguinal and perineal areas of the patient.
However, there are problems related to these appliances, as the constructions of the appliances are inconvenient, troublesome and obstructive for the user.